10 June, 2009

A Primer

I remember Michigan fondly as the place I goto be in Michigan. The right hand of Americawaving from maps or the leftpressing into clay a mold to take homefrom kindergarten to Mother. I lived in Michiganforty-three years. The state birdis a chained factory gate. The state floweris Lake Superior, which sounds egotisticalthough it is merely cold and deep as truth.A Midwesterner can use the word “truth,”can sincerely use the word “sincere.”In truth the Midwest is not mid or west.When I go back to Michigan I drive through Ohio.There is off I-75 in Ohio a mosque, so lifegoes corn corn corn mosque, I wave at Islam,which we’re not getting along withon account of the Towers as I pass.Then Ohio goes corn corn cornbillboard, goodbye, Islam. You never forgethow to be from Michigan when you’re from Michigan.It’s like riding a bike of ice and fly fishing.The Upper Peninsula is a spare statein case Michigan goes flat. I live nowin Virginia, which has no backup planbut is named the same as my mother,I live in my mother again, which is creepybut so is what the skin under my chin is doing,suddenly there’s a pouch like marsupialsare needed. The state joy is spring.“Osiris, we beseech thee, rise and give us baseball”is how we might sound were we Egyptian in April,when February hasn’t ended. Februaryis thirteen months long in Michigan.We are a people who by Februarywant to kill the sky for being so grayand angry at us. “What did we do?”is the state motto. There’s a day in Maywhen we’re all tumblers, gymnasticsis everywhere, and daffodils are askedby young men to be their wives. When a man elopeswith a daffodil, you know where he’s from.In this way I have given you a primer.Let us all be from somewhere.Let us tell each other everything we can.